As-You-Like-It Breakfast Casserole

As-You-Like-It Breakfast Casserole



The ingredient proportions are estimates. The more eggs, the firmer, and less likely to deflate, the casserole will be. Mushrooms tend to hold a lot of moisture, so if you use a lot of them, you may want to sauté them first to release some of their water. Sausage should be browned and cooked through first. Can also uses spices such as curry and cumin.



Ingredients



6-10 eggs

2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

6 slices bread, cut into cubes

2 cups milk

Salt

Pepper

Additions



1 cup corn (cooked or frozen)

1/2 cup chopped broccoli (cooked or raw, raw will turn out crunchier)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 cup cubed ham and/or cooked Italian sausage

A few slices cooked bacon, chopped

1 teaspoon herbes de provence, or other dried herbs, or a Tbsp of fresh chopped herbs such as basil, rosemary, or thyme

13 x 9 inch casserole dish

Method


1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the milk and cheese. Add the bread and carefully stir until all pieces of bread are moistened (don't over mix or the bread may disintegrate). Add additions. Add salt and pepper to taste (if using Italian sausage, you won't need either.) Butter a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Pour mix into casserole dish.


2 Bake in oven for 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is browned and the center springs back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

I thought, with all the cooler weather around the country,that this would be an appropriate time to to put up this chili recipe.


Spicy Vegetarian Chili


The level of spiciness will depend on how much chili powder, and how many jalapeños you put in the chili. If you like things on the mild side, start with the smaller amounts of both, and add to taste.


Ingredients

1 1-pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

Olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium zucchini, chopped

2 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded, diced

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely minced (Taste and check the heat of the jalapeños. If very hot only use one, if mildly hot, use two. Wash hands with soap and water after handling. Do not rub eyes.)

1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, including liquid (or 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped)

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1-2 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chopped oregano or 2 teaspoons dried

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)

1 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)

Zest of one lemon

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (can sub parsley if you have an aversion to cilantro)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Scatter eggplant cubes in a shallow roasting pan and slather with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside.



2 In a large (5-6 quart) thick-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more. Add the red bell peppers, zucchini, and jalapeño chili peppers. Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.



3 Add the tomatoes to the pot along with any liquid that may have been in the can (if using canned). Add oregano, cumin, and fennel seeds. Add chili powder to desired heat. Stir in the eggplant cubes (carefully as to not break them up), and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.



4 Add the white beans and kidney beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and chopped cilantro. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.



Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions.



Serves 8-10.

Old-Fashioned Apple-Nut Crisp

Apples and nuts are a classic—and healthful—combination, especially when you cut back on the saturated fat that typically tops this sweet treat. Our version is just as delicious, and allows the flavor of the hazelnuts to shine through. A dollop of Vanilla Cream or scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt finishes this homey dessert beautifully.


Ingredients


5 medium-large crisp, tart apples, such as McIntosh, Empire, Granny Smith or Cortland, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or Splenda Granular

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, (not instant)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, or walnutPreparation


1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch square (or 2-quart) deep baking dish with cooking spray.

2.Combine apples with granulated sugar (or Splenda), lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, combine whole-wheat flour, oats, brown sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix to blend. Using your fingers (or a fork or pastry blender), cut in butter until evenly distributed and there are no chunks. Stir in oil, apple juice concentrate and nuts; toss well until evenly moistened and clumpy.

4.Remove the foil from the baking dish and scatter the topping evenly over the apples. Bake uncovered until the topping has browned and the fruit is soft and bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 274 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 6 g fiber; 1 mg sodium; 231 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Manganese (17% daily value).



2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat (saturated)



Nutrition Note: Per serving with Splenda: 2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings; 265 calories; 43 g carbohydrate

 

Amazing No-Butter Apple Cranberry Pie

The filling for this apple pie is on the tart side—experiment with less lemon juice or sweeter apples for a balance that's right for you. Most pie crusts use butter, shortening or lard to get a flaky texture—this one uses heart-healthy canola oil. We found that when we simply substitute oil for butter the texture suffers. The trick is to freeze the oil and a bit of flour together before incorporating it into the dough. The result is a flaky crust without all the saturated fat.

One 9-inch pie, for 10 servings




Active Time: 50 minutes



Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low cholesterol
Low saturated fat
Low sodium
Heart healthy
View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

Amazing No-Butter Apple Cranberry Pie

Crust

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4-5 tablespoons low-fat milk

Topping

1/3 cup “quick” or regular rolled oats

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 tablespoon water

Filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 pounds tart apples, such as Cortland or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (about 6 cups)

1 cup dried cranberries

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon


Preparation

1.To prepare crust: Stir oil and 1/4 cup flour in a small bowl until smooth; cover and chill in the freezer until partially frozen, about 40 minutes.

2.Whisk the remaining 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the chilled oil-flour paste into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Stir in milk a tablespoon at a time just until a soft dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface 7 or 8 times. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

3.Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

4.to prepare topping: Work together oats, flour and brown sugar in a small bowl with a fork or your fingertips until there are no large lumps. Drizzle oil and water over the top and work together until the mixture forms small crumbs.

5.To prepare filling & assemble pie: Combine sugar and flour in a small bowl. Toss apples and cranberries with lemon zest and juice in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples and toss well.

6.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to the prepared pie pan. Fold the edges under and crimp with a fork. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Mound the filling into the crust and cover with the topping.

7.Bake until the fruit is bubbling at the edges and is easily pierced with a skewer in the center, 55 to 70 minutes. Check toward the end of the baking time; if the crust or topping is becoming too dark, cover the pie loosely with foil.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: 9-inch pie pan

Nutrition

Per serving: 301 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 57 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 176 mg sodium; 99 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (18% daily value).



4 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 fruit, 3 carbohydrate (other), 1 1/2 fat